


Fenris and Dorian

by CaptainDemetrios



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends, Feelings, Feelings Cave, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Mentions of homophobia, canon-typical abuse, mentions of - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:49:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9602396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainDemetrios/pseuds/CaptainDemetrios
Summary: When Fenris and Dorian meet at Skyhold, no one expects it to go well.





	

Fenris and Anders went with Hawke to Skyhold. Neither were willing to let their lover go alone, no matter how dangerous it might be for themselves.

 

Fenris had expected the Templars and Seekers. He had prepared to defend Anders and Hawke from their scrutiny- and their swords, if necessary. But none of them had expected a Tevinter mage to be with the Inquisition.  

 

Though Fenris now had a kinder view of mages in general (since he was now dating two), a mage from Tevinter was an entirely different story. Just thinking about possibly running into the man in the courtyard filled him with rage.

 

Hawke and the Inquisitor agreed it was best to keep the two separated as long as possible. If their entire stay could pass by without Fenris and Dorian Pavus crossing paths, Skyhold may remain in one piece.

 

They did not manage to stay apart for long.

 

As it happened, they both enjoyed sitting on the same bench in the garden to read.

 

Dorian hadn’t been expecting the scary looking elf to be sitting so serenely on his favorite bench. Dorian approached and was met with a harsh glare.

  
“What do you want?” Fenris growled.

  
“This is my favorite spot to read.” Dorian began civilly.

 

“Well I’m not moving.” Fenris snapped. Dorian took a steadying breath.

 

“I am not suggesting you do. There’s no reason we can’t both sit here and read like gentlemen.”

  
Fenris grunted but scooted over for Dorian. Dorian sat, crossing one leg over the other and opening his book.

 

“So, what are you reading?”

  
Fenris closed his book with a bang and left quickly.

 

Dorian got a similar response every time he ran into Fenris. Dorian tried to make conversation, to extend a hand, and each time it only seemed to piss Fenris off even more. Eventually Fenris met him with glowing brands and a barked “Fuck off!”.

 

Dorian thought it best to give him some space after that.

 

“You’re making it worse,” The Inquisitor advised. “And you’re fighting a losing battle. I say just let him be.”

 

Dorian sighed but said he agreed.

 

He approached Fenris the next day.

  
Fenris jumped, already glowing. Anders had to hold him back.

 

“Dorian, this isn’t--”

 

“I know.” Dorian said quickly, and held up his hands in a sign of peace. “I know, I just came to apologize, actually.” he sighed. “In my zeal to prove to you I am not like the Tevinter mages you knew, I… well I pushed too much. I just wanted to apologize for making you uncomfortable, and to tell you I will stay out of your way from now on.”

 

Fenris watched him suspiciously, and gave a short nod.

 

“Thank you, Dorian” Anders translated. Dorian left them then.

  


Later that day, Dorian sat alone at the chess table. He was waiting for Cullen, for their afternoon chess match, but the commander was no doubt buried in work and had just forgotten to cancel with Dorian.

 

Fenris stopped at the table.

 

“Hey.”

 

Dorian jumped and half-rose from his seat

 

“Fenris-- Did you want..? I’ll go--”

 

“No.” Fenris shook his head and raised a hand to stop Dorian from running of. “I mean… may I join you for a game?”

 

“Oh.” Dorian sat again. “Yes, yes, of course.” He gestured to the seat, and Fenris sat across from him.

 

“Were you waiting for someone?” Fenris moved first.

 

“Commander Cullen.” Dorian followed. “We usually play every afternoon, but he must have lost track of time again.”

 

Fenris turned out to very good at chess. Dorian turned out to be very bad. And Cullen continued to be very, very busy, so Dorian’s afternoon chess dates with Cullen were soon being regularly filled by Fenris.

 

Fenris was silent while they played the first few games, but after a while he began to chat idly with Dorian. There were subjects Dorian was afraid to broach, and Fenris didn’t bring up, but they talked about their boyfriends often.

 

To everyone’s surprise, Fenris and Dorian managed to be civil during their chess matches each day. They even met in the Library and shared books sometimes. They’d sit silently on the bench in the garden and read together.

 

No one knew how to explain it, especially since Fenris still insisted they weren’t friends, and still growled and glared at Dorian. They still danced around the topic of Tevinter, though once Fenris asked why Dorian had left, and Dorian had given a vague unsatisfying answer before changing the subject.

 

For a while that was their relationship- chess, books, snarking.

 

One day, they were exploring the lower tunnels of Skyhold, after Sera had stolen their chess set and hid the pieces around the grounds. Dorian could tell Fenris was tense, as he gripped his torch so tightly his knuckles were white.

 

“Not a fan of cold, dark, endless tunnels, eh?” Dorian tried to joke but Fenris only glared. “Me neither.” Dorian admit, less jokingly. “Actually I’m a tad claustrophobic.”

 

“Me too.” Fenris said. “Why are you claustrophobic?”

 

“ _Why am I--?_ People can just have irrational fears without a tragic backstory!”

 

Fenris shrugged. “Seems to be the way for everyone I know.”

 

Dorian was about to retort when the floor disappeared under his next step, and he tumbled into a collapsed part of the tunnel.

 

“Dorian!” Fenris slid down carefully after him. Dorian’s torch had gone out and Fenris walked slowly to avoid stepping on the mage in the dim light of his own still lit torch.

  
“I’m alright.” Dorian stood and brushed himself off. “Nothing damaged but my ego.”

 

“Good. Hm. I don’t think we can go back up the way we came. We’ll have to go around.” Fenris sighed. Dorian agreed with the assessment and they continued into the lower tunnels. They were not comforted by what they saw, as they had to change course several times due to collapses.

 

“This way seems to--” Whatever Dorian was going to say was cut off by a low rumble, and then a thunder of falling rock. Fenris heard a cry of pain before he was knocked flat. The torch fell from his hand and clattered on the floor, it’s flame vanishing and leaving the two men in the dark.

 

When the world quieted again Fenris lifted his head. His brands lit in self defense, but his eyes had already mostly adjusted to the dark. He looked around and his breath caught in his throat. The tunnel had collapsed around them.

 

Fenris was scrambling to his feet when he heard a shuddered breath and a barely suppressed whimper.

 

“Dorian?” Fenris crawled until he found the man, still flat on his back.

 

“H-hey Fenris.” Dorian smiled through grit teeth. Fenris swept Dorian for damage and found his legs under a pile of rock.

 

“Shit.” Fenris hissed.

 

“Thanks, that really helps.” Dorian said dryly. He tried to keep his suave demeanor but Fenris could tell he was panicking.

 

“I’ll- I’ll try to get you out.” Fenris said, fighting his own steadily increasing panic.

 

“No, no Fenris, wait--Ah!” Dorian cried in pain when Fenris pulled at his leg. “Stop! You can’t--! Ack, I-- _Kaffas!_ ”

  
Fenris let go. He pretended not to see how wet Dorian’s face was.

 

“They’ll find us. They’ll be able to get you out. Us out.” Fenris pulled his knees to his chest. He was reassuring himself as much as Dorian.

 

“No one knows we’re down here, Fenris.” Dorian whispered. “How will they know where to look? To even start?”

 

“Shut up, Mage.” Fenris hissed, chest tightening. The walls felt too close. It was so hard to breathe.

 

“Hey.” Dorian reached out and grabbed his arm, breaking Fenris out of his panicked lull. He was starting to feel faint. “You’re ok. You’re right, they’ll find us. Just-- just stay with me.” His voice cracked.

 

Dorian was just as scared. Just as much on the verge of passing out or being overwhelmed with fear.

 

“How’s the pain?”

 

“Ha! Awful.” Dorian’s voice shuddered. “Fenris do you-- do you think I’ll lose them?”

 

_I don’t know._

 

“No. You’ll be fine.”

 

Dorian laughed. Obviously Fenris hadn’t sounded as confident as he’d hoped.

 

“I like my legs,” Dorian said bitterly, almost hysterically. “They get me places. And they’re one of my best features.”

 

“All of you is your best feature.” Fenris answered, the panic and lack of air working like a truth serum.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re falling for the Tevinter mage?”

 

“I am not ‘falling’ for you.” Fenris rolled his eyes. “I can appreciate your beauty without feeling anything towards you, as I’m sure you’ve done to many an elf.” The last was said as a challenge. Dorian frowned and shook his head.

 

“No, never.”

 

“Never?”

 

“Look, I-I know owning them at all is wrong-- I know that now! But I never treated my family’s slaves like that. And I’m not saying my family was great but I know no one hit them or anything. I know that doesn’t excuse anything I just--” He was babbling, a mixture of the horror in their situation, and the floodgates opening on a subject they had never dared breach before.

 

“Why did you leave Tevinter, if your family was so kind?” Fenris interrupted.

 

Dorian gave another sad, bitter laugh.

“Fenris, look at me. My father didn’t mind the slaves, but he couldn’t tolerate me screwing up his plans for the bloodline.”

  
Fenris’ face fell. He was well aware of what the higher families of Tevinter thought of homosexuality.

 

“I’m sorry.” Fenris said..

 

“My father, he tried to…” Dorian’s voice cracked again and he shook his head. Fenris took his hand.

 

“I believe you. It’s alright.”

 

“It is not alright!” Dorian snapped, but he regretted it right after and he covered his face with his free hand.  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Maker you must think I’m awful…”

 

“You’re allowed to get angry at me, Dorian.” Fenris felt Dorian’s hand tighten around his own.

 

“I’m not. I don’t want to make you think--”

 

“I’m not going to think you’re like Danarius just because you get angry when I’m being an ass.” Fenris interrupted. “I know you aren’t Danarius.”

 

“Really?” Dorian sounded relieved.

 

“Someone like Danarius wouldn’t be trying so hard to prove to me he’s a friend. You’re a fool at times, but… You are no Danarius.”

 

Dorian grinned.

 

“What now?” Fenris asked, exasperated.

 

“We’re friends?”

 

“Yes, fool. We’re friends.”

 

Dorian looked content at that. For a moment they were silent, just listening to each other’s shaky breathing. But the doubt and fear only increased in the dark silence.

 

“Do you really think they’ll find us?” Dorian whispered.

  
“I do.” Fenris answered. “They’ll notice we’re gone, and I don’t know the Inquisitor, but Hawke and Anders aren’t the giving up types.”

 

“Neither is the Inquisitor.” Dorian forced a chuckle. “Maker, I don’t deserve him…”

 

“I’ve often thought that about Hawke and Anders. And I know they have thought the same. I think… love isn't about what we deserve. These people make us happy, and we deserve to be happy sometimes.”

 

“Claustrophobia turns you into philosopher.” Dorian teased.

 

“Pain turns you into an ass.” Fenris responded.

 

Dorian laughed weakly. He was growing pale. Fenris felt his forehead, frowning with concern.

 

“What?”

 

“I think you’re bleeding somewhere.” Fenris tried to let go of his hand, to check his legs for bleeding, but Dorian clung to him.

 

“Fenris! Don’t--Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me in the dark!” It hadn’t occurred to Fenris that Dorian could be completely blind in the dark of the caved tunnel. Fenris had almost forgotten that was an advantage of elven eyes.

 

“I’m just going to see where you’re bleeding from. See if I can stop it.”

 

“No- Don’t--!” He choked on barely contained hysteria. “Don’t leave me!”

 

“Ok.” Fenris sat again and held Dorian’s hand in both of his own. “I’m not leaving you.” He made his brands glow to offer Dorian some light. Dorian’s breathing slowed again, just a little.

 

_If he’s losing blood I need to keep him talking…_

 

“So, your fears have a tragic backstory after all.”

 

Dorian gave that sad laugh again. Fenris hated it.

 

“My dad, he… before he tried blood magic, he tried punishments. One time, after he found me with this guy… locked me in my room for a week. He had a sl-- someone--”

 

“You can say slave.”

 

“Someone, bring me food. I ran out of candles after the first couple of days, and he wouldn’t bring me more...  A whole week, Maker it was petty.” He tried to brush it off with a joke, but Fenris could see his fear. “Those nights were so long.”

 

“Your father isn’t here--”

 

“I know that!”

 

“And you aren’t alone.” Fenris continued. “We’ll get out of here soon, I know it.”

 

“Do you really think I’ll lose my legs?” Dorian asked, so quietly.

 

“I don’t know. I hope not. If we can get out of here, and get you to Anders…”

 

“Maker, I’m scared.”

 

“Me too.” Fenris admit.

 

They held onto each other. They tried to keep talking, Fenris trying to keep Dorian awake, fighting his blood loss, and Dorian trying to keep Fenris from a panic attack. They didn’t know how long it was before the rubble was pushed aside by Hawke and the Inquisitor.

  
Fenris let Hawke pick him up for once.

 

“Dorian, he needs help--!”  


“We’ll take care of him.” Hawke’s arms wrapped tight around Fenris. He could breathe again.

 

Dorian passed out as soon as the light came through.

 

\----

 

Dorian woke sometime later, tucked into bed. Both legs were bandaged and splinted, but still there. He sat up just as Fenris came in with a chessboard, and a book.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey.” Dorian smiled.

 

“Feeling well enough to lose?”

  
“Ah, today I’m feeling lucky!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to comment!


End file.
